Looking Up column: Spica shines bright in spring sky

Among the brighter stars in the evening springtime sky is Spica. This blue-white star shines at first magnitude (+1.04), the 15th brightest star in Earth’s night sky. Although not nearly as bright as the orange, 0-magnitude star Arcturus (currently high in the east in early evening), Spica stands out with no very bright star nearby. Spica is the brightest star in the large constellation Virgo the Virgin. The star is also called Alpha Virginis.You may see Spica about a third of […]  » Read More